The next Embla Awards will be held in Helsinki, Finland, June 2024. National nominations will be during fall/winter 2023.
EMBLA, the Nordic Food Awards, creates visibility for Nordic food and the innovative people behind it, both in the Nordic countries and internationally. The purpose of EMBLA is to strengthen the knowledge of Nordic food.
The Nordic Farmer’s Council, NBC, is responsible for EMBLA Food Awards with the support from the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Click on the logos to see the 2021 nominees in each category
Goes to the farmer, the fisherman, the hunter or the collector, who represent raw ingredients of high gastronomic quality, who make use of the Nordic natural and cultural terroir and who himself is producing, catching or collecting the raw materials.
Goes to a person, a company or an organization, who has developed a new method which is built on food artisan tradition and has broad appeal and market potential.
Goes to a food artisan, who have developed a unique product which represent a high gastronomic quality and is rooted in Nordic raw ingredients and artisan traditions.
Goes to a person, a storyteller, a media or a concept, which communicate the joy and enhance the knowledge for Nordic food.
Goes to a person or an organization, who has done an extraordinary effort to encourage meals, quality and a Nordic food culture in public meals.
Goes to a society, an institution or a community, who has assembled producers of raw ingredients, restaurants and other local actors to lift a geographic destination through food-culture, cooperation and unity.
Goes to a person or an organization, who has developed an idea or a concept which notably has contributed to develop future generation knowledge and skills in relation to Nordic food and food culture.
Nominations for EMBLA, The Nordic Food Awards will be opened on October 1st on the website emblafoodaward.com/nominate. The nomination process will be closed at November 1st.
Everybody can nominate to Embla awards. You can nominate yourself, your organization or the business you work for. And you can also nominate other people, organizations or companies.
It is free to nominate and to participate in the competition. It is expected that the nominee participates in the program in Oslo. Costs related to the journey and stay in Norwy are up to each country to decide.
The Nordic Farmer’s Council, NBC, is responsible for EMBLA Food Awards with the support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. The participants come from Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Åland Islands and The Faroe Islands.
The seven categories are following:
NORDIC FOOD PRODUCER
Goes to the farmer, the fisherman, the hunter or the collector, who represent raw ingredients of high gastronomic quality, who make use of the Nordic natural and cultural terroir and who himself is producing, catching or collecting the raw material.
NORDIC FOOD ENTREPRENEUR
Goes to a person, a company or an organization, who has developed a new method which is built on food artisan tradi-tion and has broad appeal and market potential.
NORDIC FOOD ARTISAN
Goes to a food artisan, who have developed a unique product which represent a high gastronomic quality and is rooted in Nordic raw ingredients and artisan traditions.
NORDIC FOOD COMMUNICATOR
Goes to a person, a storyteller, a media or a concept, which communicate the joy and enhance the knowledge for Nordic food.
NORDIC FOOD FOR MANY
Goes to a person or an organization, who has done an extra¬ordinary effort to encourage meals, quality and a Nordic food culture in public meals.
NORDIC FOOD DESTINATION
Goes to a society, an institution or a community, who has assembled producers of raw ingredients, restaurants and other local actors to lift a geographic destination through food-culture, cooperation and unity.
NORDIC FOOD FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Goes to a person or an organization, who has developed an idea or a concept which notably has contributed to develop future generation knowledge and skills in relation to Nordic food and food culture.
National jury consists of 3 members from each country. The national jury will select one representative for each award category in each participating country. All the juries will come together in the Nordic finale to select the winners.
It is expected that the nominee will participate in the ceremony on March 11th in Oslo, Norway. Linked to the Embla Food Award there will be a seminar open for everybody and planned activities for guests during the stay in Oslo.
The criteria for Embla are Nordic, sustainability, inspirational, originality and honesty and the nominees will be judged by the national and Nordic jury according to these criteria.
Through inspiring collaborations and partnerships the winner has created a Nordci Food Hub a learning environment for children and young people for development of Nordic gastronomy in many generations to come.
The Arctic is a braid of cultures that has survived by sharing knowledge, craft, resources, and traditions. The Arctic nature and short growing season chooses which products you will be served at this destination.
Visitors seeking originality in the north will be given an exclusive experience. The winner is preparing and serving local food based on circular economy and holistic land management and farming.
The winner is making people in the north proud of what they can produce and is an inspiration for other destinations in northern locations.
The Project males a difference for a special group of people living on the edge. The food is prepared and adjusted the special dietary needs of the homeless people.
The project has many social dimensions: Homeless people, young people who gets ready for the labour market assisting in the preparation of the meals. Furthermore, the project has sustainability as a core dimension: prepares food for many, integrates food from food waste in the meals and makes a difference for the society.
Get your hands dirty! The winner is a living museum where knowledge and activities meet the living history through storytelling. The museum is bringing together and communicating to very different kind of people – from children to professionals in different sectors.
It’s a knowledge institution offering a wide variety of living and broad learning reflecting different ages and suitable for all visitors, neither forgetting guests with special needs.
The museum is an inside out gene bank, that preserves and cultivates old varieties of plants and animal breeds.
This prize goes to a food artisan with Nordic roots and traditions, and without them these traditions could not even begin.
These people was the start of a new wave of Nordic cheese production, which has created great value, new career opportunities for many and a completely different playing field in the cheese industry.
Based in world heritage site, lies a cheese company that from their own hard efforts can live their dream as one of the most important cheese artisans of the Nordics
With a high market potential this entrepreneur is using raw tenacity to make a naturally sweet beverage in a harsh climate that nobody believed would succeed. The cold winter season, hard work and terroir apples builds a bouqet of ultra premium products.
The Nordic market has for many years desired local wine products from this specific region and finally, we can say that the demand has been met exceeding all expectations
The winner is a producer who organically makes a product which is sought after in the most prestigious restaurants in Europe. Trying new innovative ways to maximise the harvest and using natural fermentation in the process.
He stood by his vision, he kept on going to produce the most authentic wine for both Denmark, but most important for himself and his vision. Proving that you can indeed create high quality cherry wine on Danish soil.
The winner has pioneered the challenging art of growing vegetables on the Faroe Islands, by developing a specialized vegetable cultivation method for a harsh environment. The availability of high quality local produce has been important for the Faroese gastronomic development.
The winner is a “machine with a vision”, tirelessly advocating the mission in providing public kitchens in a whole city with sustainable, healthy meals prepared from scratch. Always defending the weak ones, challenging everyone from decision makers to students to take sustainability beyond the environment – to the plate and beyond.
The winner fills a gap that has existed in Nordic cuisine. By using wild berries and other high quality ingredients from the forest they have created internationally recognized wines. This allows complementary pairings to create a pure Nordic taste experience.
Finland, Hävikki-battle - Food waste-battle, Motiva Oy
The winner has succeeded in developing a concept of teaching and inspiring youth to turn food waste into treasure and share it on social media. By using all existing assets and meeting youth in their everyday life, the concept is providing knowledge and curious awareness for lifelong learning by doing.
For decades, Claus Meyer has been an inspiration for Danish food culture. He is committed to the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto. With passion and energy, he is communicating the local products, sustainability, inclusiveness and biodiversity.
The winner is a link between producers, chefs and grocery stores. It helps the farmers to get their products out on the market. At the same time the producer is ensured a good price for his products. They highlight the importance of the food origin, quality and seasonal variations.
A small outer island of Nólsoy has managed to get "on the radar" by involving the locals in tourist experiences. The inhabitants use what the island has to offer in an innovative and modern way.
In the past, people were moving from the island. Now they are staying and taking part in the storytelling of the destination.
The family's livelihood is what the island can provide: sheep, cows, poultry, seabirds and produce. All of which is produced using traditional techniques in innovative ways and with respect for the environment. Their products are sold on the mainland, where they have a reputation for unique quality and purity.
Website: storadimun.fo
Creates positivity and joy around the public meal. Inspires both staff and students with nutrition, health, education and a wide knowledge, always focusing on the joy of eating. She stresses the fact that Sweden is unique with its free school meals to all students, she puts the focus on Swedish flavors, local producers and the understanding of where the food comes from.
YouTube: youtube.com
Leif Sørensens hand-made fermented fish crisps, or “Fish Chips”, are made from fermented fish held together by different Nordic grains, predominantly barley.
Fermented fish is a traditional and unique product of the Faroe Islands, and Leif Sørensen have expanded the utility of the product, winning the fish category of Open Icelandic Championship for Artisan Food Production with his crisps.
Started up in 2011. This is a noncommercial foundation. The vision for Geitmyra is to learn children how the food is grown, make food and learn how our food ends up in our plate. They collaborate with the schools in Oslo. But they also have after school activities and classes in the week ends for families. It is Andreas Viestad that is the founder.
Website: geitmyra.no
Alandian chef that is active both in Sweden and Finland. Has done cooking shows with local food as theme in all the Nordic countries, “Mat så in i Norden”. The unique about Michael is his commitment and ability to highlight the value in the simple and local in food culture, and make these gathered things to something great. His cooking has never been about the exceptional or fine dining, but instead about Nordic foods and food culture that touches us all and he has done so for a long time – long before the blooming of Nordic food as a trend. Michael has been co-author to a lot of Nordic cookbooks.
Website: smakbyn.ax
YouTube: youtube.com
Finland, Thomas Snellman, Developer and distributor of the REKO retail
Inspired by a delivery model for short food supply chain in France, organic farmer Thomas Snellman, brought the REKO retail and distribution model for local food to Finland. REKO, launched in 2013, stands for fair consuming and offers customers a unique way of ordering products directly from the producer, without the need for middlemen and administrative costs. The REKO networks operate via closed Facebook groups in which orders and deliveries are agreed on. The revolutionary REKO model has spread widely due to Snellman’s enthusiastic and inspiring work: over 150 networks with over 200 000 consumers operate in Finland, over 30 networks in Sweden and there’s a growing interest in other Nordic countries and Europe.
Website: ekonu.fi
The Faroese phrase “heimablídni” translates directly as “home hospitality”, and all across the islands you can enjoy authentic and intimate dining experiences in people’s homes. In addition to being served traditional homemade Faroese food, these underground restaurants will treat you to interesting stories that relate to that particular part of the country or village.
Website: visitfaroeislands.com
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